Electrochemical fabrication methods incorporating dielectric materials and/or using dielectric substrates

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present invention are directed to techniques for building up single layer or multi-layer structures on dielectric or partially dielectric substrates. Certain embodiments deposit seed layer material directly onto substrate materials while other embodiments use an intervening adhesion layer material. Some embodiments use different seed layer materials and/or adhesion layer materials for sacrificial and structural conductive building materials. Some embodiments apply seed layer and/or adhesion layer materials in what are effectively selective manners while other embodiments apply the materials in blanket fashion. Some embodiments remove extraneous depositions (e.g. depositions to regions unintended to form part of a layer) via planarization operations while other embodiments remove the extraneous material via etching operations. Other embodiments are directed to the electrochemical fabrication of multilayer mesoscale or microscale structures which are formed using at least one conductive structural material, at least one conductive sacrificial material, and at least one dielectric material. In some embodiments the dielectric material is a UV-curable photopolymer.

1 . A process for forming a multilayer three-dimensional structure, comprising: 
 (a) forming and adhering a first layer of material to a dielectric substrate or to a substrate containing at least one region of dielectric material;    (b) forming an adhering at least one layer to a previously formed layer to build up a three-dimensional structure from a plurality of adhered layers;    wherein the formation of the first layer of material comprises: 
 (i) depositing a first adhesion layer material and/or a first seed layer material to only a portion of a surface of the substrate that is to receive either structural material or sacrificial material.  
   
     
     
         2 . A process for forming a multilayer three-dimensional structure, comprising: 
 (a) forming and adhering a first layer of material to a substrate;    (b) forming an adhering at least one layer to a previously formed layer to build up a three-dimensional structure from a plurality of adhered layers;    wherein the formation of an nth layer comprises: 
 (i) depositing a first adhesion layer material and/or a first seed layer material to only a portion of a surface of the (n−1)th layer, wherein the portion is that portion which is to receive either the first or second material.  
   
     
     
         3 . A process for forming a multilayer three-dimensional structure, comprising: 
 (a) forming and adhering a first layer of material to a substrate;    (b) forming an adhering at least one layer to a previously formed layer to build up a three-dimensional structure from a plurality of adhered layers;    wherein the formation of an nth layer comprises: 
 (i) locating a first adhesion layer material and/or a first seed layer material to only a portion of a surface of the (n−1)th layer that is to receive either the first or second material.  
   
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  additionally comprising: 
 depositing an adhesion layer material and/or an seed layer material to form a non-planar coating of which a portion defines a region of the substrate that is to receive an electrodeposition of a selected one of a structural material or of a sacrificial material; or    depositing an adhesion layer material and/or an seed layer material to form a non-planar coating of which a portion defines a region of an (n−1)th layer that is to receive a deposition of a selected one of a 1 st  or 2 nd  material; or    using 1 st  and 2 nd  seed layer materials during formation of at least one layer; or    using 3-materials during the formation of at least one layer with 1 st  PR exposure and development followed by 2 nd  photoresist exposure followed by deposition, followed by 2 nd  photoresist development; or    using 3-materials during the formation of at least one layer with part of a sacrificial material encapsulated so that it effectively becomes a structural material; or    wherein prior to completion of formation of a last layer of the structure, removing portions of any adhesion layer material and/or seed layer material from the substrate that is not covered by structural material; or    wherein prior to completion of formation of a last layer of the structure, removing portions of any adhesion layer material and/or seed layer material located on the surface of the (n−1)th layer that is not covered by structural material; or    wherein prior to completion of formation of the 1 st  layer of the structure, removing portions of any adhesion layer material and/or seed layer material from the substrate that is not covered by structural material; or    wherein prior to completion of formation of the nth layer of the structure, removing portions of any adhesion layer material and/or seed layer material located on the surface of the (n−1)th layer that is not covered by structural material; or    wherein the 3D structure includes “cured” dielectric material and conductive material.